At the Lookout Mountain, Tn. Commission meeting on July 26, there was a discussion about short term rentals that have begun to show up in the town. Upon an internet search at the time, five houses were found that were being rented by the day or week. Those discussions continued at the commission meeting Tuesday night. Mayor Carol Mutter said that a lot of people are concerned. This is not a resort community where people are expected to come and go, but a neighborhood that is entirely residential, she said.
She asked for residents to share their thoughts on the matter by calling or sending an email.
Commissioner of Parks and Playgrounds Brooke Pippenger said that because some people may be renting their houses as a source of income, she expects that there will be some push-back. But, she said, speaking as a resident with a child, a level of instability is created by having people in the neighborhood that cannot be tracked. Predators look for places with a nice comfort level, she said, and that has been created on the mountain with the high level of service provided by the police department. Allowing people to come in temporarily and not knowing who they are is a safety concern for her. She said that renters are not as committed to a neighborhood as much as property owners. Short term rentals "would be opening the community to issues we did not buy into when we moved here," she added.
County Commissioner Joe Graham said that the same discussion is going to take place at the Chattanooga City Council meeting on Aug. 30. He said he believes Chattanooga will allow it by issuing certificates. If two complaints from neighboring properties are received, the owner could lose the certificate. He also said temporary rentals are subject to a hotel/motel tax and that some cities in Tennessee are considering banning the practice.
Commissioner of Public Works Walker Jones said that where there are short term rentals, there is a definite problem with a drop in property value.
Resident Gina Caldwell said she owns a home in Sausalito, Calif., where so many people started using their homes for short term rentals that the neighborhood completely changed. Now that town is putting in some strict regulations, she said. One problem is the “party factor,” and it is horrific, she said. A lot of people crowd into a house and have big parties that go on for days.
Mayor Mutter, who has a condominium in Nashville, said that fines are up to $1,000 per day for anyone who rents their unit on a short term basis. It is an issue everywhere, she said.
At the next commission meeting Town Attorney Brian Smith will have the revised zoning ordinance ready for the commissioner to vote on. If it passes, it must then be sent to the Regional Planning Agency for their recommendation.
Commissioner of Schools Don Stinnett gave the schedule of events for the beginning of the new school year. Registration was on Monday and the first day of classes will be Thursday. Kindergarten will be phased in starting on Thursday with the first full day on Aug. 18. The first PTA meeting is Aug. 23 at 5:30 p.m. in the auditorium. Two new employees have just been announced. Ruth Cargill will fill the third grade position vacated when Bryan Mann moved to the fifth grade and Tammy Powell has been selected to replace Margie Parker, custodial head for the past 19 years.
A Community Movie Night that will take place Friday, Aug. 12, was announced by Commissioner Pippenger. The party at the Commons is sponsored by the Love Lookout group from Lookout Mountain Presbyterian Church. The event will begin at 6 p.m. and the movie will start around 9 p.m. once it gets dark. People are encouraged to bring picnics, chairs and blankets. The name of the movie will be kept a secret.
The commissioner also said that Rick Dockery is in the process of buying a tractor for use by the parks and playgrounds department.
The public works department has finished trimming high branches in order to help big trucks navigate the winding roads, and have now also caught up on removing brush piles, said Commissioner Jones. The dumpster that was on the mountain on Saturday was a success again, said the commissioner, but there has been some confusion about the hours that the public works area is open for residents to access it. Commissioner Jones said that a designated time will be determined and posted on the signs. The dumpster will return next on the first weekend of October.
Tree work will begin soon. There are 8-10 trees that will be taken down. It will be important for people to be aware of the work and drive carefully, especially along Wautauga Lane where a lot of the work will be done. Labor Day falls on Sept. 5 this year. Garbage collection will be done the following day.
This has been a good month without a lot happening, said Chief Randy Bowden. Tourism is up and the parking meters are doing great, he said. Commissioner of Fire and Police Jim Bentley gave the statistics from the fire and police departments for the month of July. He said that police received 72 calls, patrolled 3,967 miles, answered 25 burglar alarms that were all false, had 18 assist citizen calls and 17 calls were made to 911. There were two auto accidents in July and police made 13 traffic stops, and issued 15 tickets for illegal parking. There were no burglaries or thefts during the month. In Tennessee there were 14 medical calls with four mutual aid calls to Georgia and there were three false fire alarms in July.
Mayor Mutter would like for all drivers on the mountain to slow down and be aware of the many children and walkers that are out.